Stardust - A Darker Purpose
by afrocelt
Summary: What if Lucy accepted Maggie's offer, and took up training to become one of the most powerful dark spirits around? Her and Allegra have been estranged ever since. However, one night in the forest, six years after the fatal turning, Lucy faces an inevitable coming of age test: leech the stardust from her former best friend. What will prevail, a lust for power or a true friendship?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So during/after reading a brilliant Stardust/Midsummer Murders crossover fic (by Emperor Andross if interested) and seeing there were literally no Stardust (Linda Chapman) fanfics on the entire internet, I thought, you know what? I'll give it a shot. The obligatory explanation/reminder of the Stardust concept: all people in the world are made from stardust, but some people have more than others. These people, if they believe enough, are able to transform into sprite like creatures called stardust spirits, whose job it is to fly around at night using their magical seasonal powers (based on which star their stardust is from) to help protect nature from the destructive ways of normal humans. However, there are 'dark spirits': stardust spirits who get so caught up in their lust for power that they practise forbidden magic such as animal transformations, stealing stardust from the skies, and worst of all from other spirits, leaving them unable to transform to their stardust selves again. For those who's memory on the fourth book is hazy, Maggie, a dark stardust spirit, offers to train Lucy so she can gain tonnes of power. Lucy in the canon of course refuses. In my version of events, things went down a bit differently...**

 **Disclaimer: Of course all the Stardust books and characters are owned by the fabulous children's fantasy author, Linda Chapman. Now without further ado or rambling...**

Wind coasted along the buzzard's wing tips, ruffling the dark feathers only slightly. Her appearance, although common in shape, was rather stunning in plumage. A tinge of gold brushed her pure black coat along the spine, and there was a definite pride, almost human-like, in the way she held herself. Alighting on a branch, her beady eyes shone steadily in the starlight, near invisible to human vision. Above the tree tops on the west side of the woods, her gaze pierced into the canopy below, seeing a small, barely accessible clearing. Unless you knew the way.

Skimming, dipping and diving through the tangled web of wood, the buzzard soundlessly landed in the small patch of grass. But no clawed talons hit the ground. Instead, two shimmering golden feet touched down, toes oozing into the uncut grass, soil made muddy from the recent rain. Grazing the human feet, a silken cloak, as black as the buzzard's feathers, hung. The spirit turned her hooded face to greet a figure in similar attire. A smile slipped through the shadow from the latter.

"You've done well Lucy. Your transformation is seamless."

The speaker plucked her hood from her head, revealing her face as a woman in her late fifties. However her countenance suggested something much more ancient and powerful.

"Though you could have chosen a less conspicuous form," she frowned, "An entirely jet black buzzard with gold go-faster stripes? You'd be spotted in five seconds. Useless for espionage."

The newly transformed figure tossed back her chestnut brown hair, letting its true length flow down her back to her hips. Her hood dropped, exposing the face of a sixteen-year-old girl glowing bright with confidence.

"Oh come _on_ Maggie. This isn't a secret mission; I was only having some fun."

"You mean showing off." The older spirit broke into a grin, despite everything admiring how much her charge reminded Maggie of herself.

"You mean reaching my true potential," Lucy grinned back smugly,

"If you're not careful, I'll become more powerful than you!"

Maggie's grin quickly retreated. Lucy had meant it as a joke (sort of) but she instantly realised she'd hit a sensitive spot.

"Don't get cocky, young spirit. That is where many fail. Know your strengths-"

With that she tossed a semi-malevolent fireball towards Lucy, which she deflected as quick as lightning with a mere flick of her fingers.

"And your _weaknesses_."

The voice rang loud, near painful, startling and confusing in Lucy's mind causing her to cringe. The momentary slip in Lucy's defence made her easy picking for the snake-like vine which slid up her leg, proceeding rapidly up her torso to her neck. Dangling in the air by their throat, anyone would have been terrified at trying to figure out where their next breath was coming from. Yet Lucy remained perfectly calm. She'd been in this situation too many times before to falter.

The vines grasping her neck first began to shrivel, then started full on smoking, charring to black. They fell away from Lucy's skin, which was now red hot.

 _"_ _You should have just binded me,"_ she commented telepathically to her mentor, smirking in spite of burning in her lungs.

 _"_ _Yes, but you would have broken that easily, knowing you Lucy."_ Maggie smirked back, despite her age, sharing the same mischievous glint as her protégée.

 _"_ _Besides, it's not over yet."_

What followed was a rare sight to see: two dark stardust spirits in a head to head combat, half teasing, half malicious, each trying with increasing desperation to get an upper hand on the other with more and more elaborate magical techniques. A dancing, swirling mass of stardust surrounded the two spirits and they gradually rose into the air with the force of their own power, the elements flying like a choreographed routine. Lucy ducked and skimmed as Maggie forced her towards a small pool near the edge of the clearing, finally using her summer magic to shield herself from the onslaught of elements from all four Royal Stars – Antares, Fomalhaut, Aldebaran and Regulus. Maggie had mastery of them all, yet Lucy was still able to fend her off with her own excelled skill. Especially as she seemed to be Regulus's favourite.

"Stardust be mine, Regulus!"

Lucy began the chant which called upon the summer star itself to feed her its power. She paused a moment, blissful grin stretching across her features. Her eyes snapped open.

Maggie froze. Unable to move her lips, she thought the word,

 _"_ _Release!"_

But the invisible bonds didn't break. If anything they became more visible, shimmering golden and swirling.

Maggie felt as though she were about to suffocate. She _was_ suffocating.

 _"_ _Lucy…"_

The older spirit mentally gasped, suffering just as much psychological damage as was being sustained by her physical body. Maggie glanced into the younger spirit's eyes. They were cold and clear, and for the first time since knowing her, Maggie felt fear. Fear of Lucy.

She could have crushed Maggie that very instant.

Instead she released her.

"It seems you've grown stronger, Lucy. Much stronger." Maggie growled, once the world stopped spinning.

Lucy landed beside Maggie, a combination of worry and exhilaration characterising her voice.

"Are you alright? I never meant to go that far I just… it was amazing. I've never felt like that before. I wasn't just calling the stars, I was _one_ of them!

Maggie regarded Lucy as she stood from where she'd fallen. Lucy sounded just like the ten-year-old thirsting for power Maggie had met six years ago. But despite the appearance, Maggie wasn't fooled. The girl had vanished. Lucy stood before Maggie as a young woman.

But Lucy still had one more trick to learn…


	2. Chapter 2

"Lucy, you're late again! This is the third time I've called you, get up!"

"Hnnn…"

Lucy sat up in the bed reluctantly, yawning widely. It had taken her a while to get used to her excessive tiredness since becoming a dark spirit: it was the strain of all the power drawn from the skies. She knew that things would be different if she were a normal stardust spirit, like she used to be. She used to wake up every morning feeling so light and energised…

"Lucy!"

"I'm up already! Leave off me!"

 _Whatever,_ she thought,

 _It's all worth it for more power._

A trip to the bathroom and a hasty high ponytail later, Lucy was dressed and ready for another monotonous day at school.

"Morning lazy! Had a nice lie in?" her dad called jokingly from the living room to the kitchen

"Oh shut up dad. I'm not in the mood."

"You're never in the mood anymore. You really need to lighten up. You're still young and full of hopes and dreams!"

"Right. Whatever you say."

"Haha, you're getting more like Rachel by the day."

Lucy promptly turned to her school bag, grabbing whatever books and files had strayed from the open clasp and shoving them messily back in. Unnoticed, her mother appeared from the other side of the kitchen wielding a plate of toast.

"Lucy this really has to stop."

"Ah! Jeez mum could you not do that!"

Carol Evans continued to lecture at her daughter, as if she hadn't been interrupted.

"Not only do you wake up late _again_ , but your work is a mess _again,_ and you're skipping breakfast _again._ Is there something going on that we don't know about? You used to be so organised. We're starting to worry that-"

"I'm fine mum. Better than fine. I'm great." Lucy replied flatly, grabbing a piece of toast and making her way to the front door. Life would be so much easier if her parents just butt out of her personal life.

"Morning Luce!"

"Morning Hope."

Lucy couldn't help but smile slightly. Hope had always been closest in the family to Lucy, mainly by being the only one who respected her space. Still, she found it rather strange that her eldest sister chose to remain in the house. Despite her brains she didn't even apply for university, apparently content with her night shifts at the pub, choosing a part time apprenticeship at the local art and woodwork shop over student life. Rachel however, had taken the first chance she got to escape the "hell house" as she liked to call it. Lucy didn't miss her annoying other sister one bit. Well technically that was a lie, but Lucy would never admit that out loud.

Shutting the door behind her, which seemed to unintentionally slam of its own accord, Lucy heard a muted sigh and just caught the end of a comment from her mother, presumably to Hope.

"…so much happier when she and Allegra were friends."

Lucy cringed. She'd put it out of her mind as much as she could, but Allegra's name always popped up somewhere. Another person she missed sorely but wouldn't admit it. Allegra and her mother, Xanthe used to live next door, but had moved away a couple of months ago. Lucy couldn't help but feel it was her fault.

 _"_ _Lucy… this can't be… you defeated her didn't you? Why is_ she _here?_ Her _of all people! Tell me this is all some sick joke! If it is stop it! Please, just stop it!"_

 _"_ _Allegra… please calm down…"_

 _"_ _No! This isn't a time to be calm! You're one of_ them _!"_

 _"_ _This is why I didn't tell you. It's not like you think, just hear me out-"_

 _"_ _Leave me alone, dark spirit! All this time… I don't know you anymore. I don't think I ever knew you!"_

No. It wasn't Lucy's fault. She had tried to be reasonable, tried to find a time to break the news to Allegra gently. She knew her best friend couldn't handle it. Five years she kept her dreadful secret, such a heavy secret. Allegra just _had_ to be her nosy self. They could have just carried on like normal, but _no._

"Doesn't surprise me really, it's a wonder she didn't discover sooner," Lucy muttered to herself bitterly, glancing wistfully at next door's front garden, just being able to glimpse the large willow tree around the back of the cottage. She half expected Allegra to skip out, humming to herself cheerfully before noticing Lucy and waving hi. Then they would both walk to school together and –

Lucy unlocked her bike from the shed, wheeling it out of the front gate. A late birthday present which her parents supposed would be useful for the school run, punctuality, exercise and errands all in one. Lucy mainly used it to get some personal space (not to mention various forbidden piercings her family still hadn't noticed).

She rode to school alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who reviewed! Shout out to StardustOwl, SandyJPhoenix and Toodamnmanyfandoms. Apologies that this chapter took a while, I don't really have a schedule, just upload when the thing is done. But I have the general plot shaped so hopefully I'll make it to the end (I know how irritating half finished stories can be) XD So without further ado...**

"I believe in stardust."

Lucy breathed the phrase a last time, eyes snapping open to glint in the dark. The glow spread all the way down her body, her skin lighting up and tingling, earthly flesh giving way to the humming of energy welling up inside of her body. Lucy almost thought her skin was going to fly off without her – but just before it did, her feet lost the floor and she was treading air like water. A bright golden dress shimmered around her, folds of ethereal fabric pulsing in and out of tangibility. A beam stretched across the girl's face, every bit as ecstatic as the first night she turned.

A heavier fabric whirled around the gold, wrapping up the glowing body and hair in velvety darkness. With a quick scout of her surroundings, Lucy leapt lithely out of the window, leaving it open just a crack. She swooped down to the ground, giving a passing glance to the overgrown garden next door, vines beginning to wind around the metal scaffolding.

 _"_ _Dammit. I need to stop doing that,"_ Lucy bit her lip as she landed, trying to distract herself from pain with pain.

Lucy stepped barefoot down the garden path, instinctively knowing every turn in the dark (though her eyes had adjusted perfectly to the lack of light). Although Lucy loved the feeling of soaring through the skies, occasionally she liked to ground herself. There was a thrill in flying – but also a strength in walking – and recently Lucy had discovered a new way to travel that combined the best of both earthly and airborne means.

 _"_ _Camouflagus,"_ she breathed, disappearing into the night.

Her toes ground heavily against the pebbles, then lighter, then heavier again as she picked up the pace, cloak swirling and billowing around her as she pushed off the ground, using it to propel her, running, leaping, soaring, landing, flitting through the trees, near invisible and impossibly fast.

The sleepy silence of the village gave way to the buzz of midges and the _screep screep_ of crickets. Ten minutes later and the spirit came to a heavy breathing halt, muscles burning, eyes keen, ears tingling. With a string of ancient tongue, she shifted into her buzzard form, alighting on a nearby tree branch. A few seconds later and she was no longer alone.

"Tic! You're on!"

"Ha! Missed me!"

"No fair Charlotte! I got you right in the back!"

Two girls appeared in the clearing, both around twelve years old. One was clad in autumnal silver, with long straight blonde hair. The other had short golden curls and intense blue eyes, and wore a pale pearly grey.

"Lizzie, I definitely dodged. Didn't I George? George?"

"I'm not sure." A brunette girl in sapphire blue folds, the mark of a winter spirit, landed on the ground, stretching her arms. She leaned heavily against a tree, which, little did she know, housed a very watchful bird.

"Hey guys wait up!" Another girl with a dark, gravity-defying afro slipped into the clearing, grass green dress testifying to her spring powers.

"You're way too slow Issy," Charlotte grinned, "If you're not careful we'll leave you behind!"

"You wouldn't do that would you?" Issy frowned, face creased in worry.

"Of course not Issy, Charlotte's only showing off because she can go so fast."

"Hey" Charlotte smirked, "it's not my fault I'm an autumn spirit. Flying just comes so naturally!"

"Yeah well, one day you'll fly straight into a tree." Lizzie muttered crossly.

Lucy watched the girls from her perch. At first she rolled her eyes – the younger spirits were always straying too far outside their clearing, making so much noise - and it was irritating. This was _her_ section of the forest. The teen was tempted right then and there to blow her cover and scare them all off with a dive bomb, but something made her pause. And sit. And watch.

"Ooh someone's touchy. No need to be such a grouch Liz," Charlotte pulled a face

"I'm not being a grouch! You're being a show off." Lizzie smirked back, but with slight hurt flashing behind her eyes.

"Ah I'm getting bored of tag anyway. What should we do next?"

"We could try actually working?" the three other girls looked at Issy, who was ever enthusiastic.

"I mean, we were meant to be doing a job right?"

"Well yeah, of course, obviously. We'll get round to that _eventually._ But first-" Charlotte teased raising her hands,

"How about a little practice?"

Issy and Georgia's eyes lit with excitement – but immediately turned to Lizzie who had visibly tensed up. Lizzie was jolted out of her own thoughts as she gave a small sad smile to the others.

"Don't worry about it. I like watching."

"No, we shouldn't practice if it leaves you out." Georgia said supportively.

"No, no, really it's fine George. You guys have to practice at some point, and watching magic is better than not doing anything at all. Go on," and with that Lizzie flew to perch in a branch adjacent to Lucy. The bird shuffled further into the foliage, trying to keep out of sight. Despite being irritated at the intrusion, she felt a long forgotten empathy arise inside her. She felt a sudden urge to go and comfort the season-less stardust spirit, for once a very long time ago, it had been her sat on the branch, watching the others practise their magic…

But obviously, Lucy stayed where she was. It didn't stop Lizzie from seeing her though.

"Ah!" Lizzie's eyes widened in surprise, then her face lit.

"Oh, you scared me, I didn't see you sitting there!"

Lucy's heart jumped. She felt a sudden impulse to peck at the girl then fly away – but no, that would arouse suspicion; animals were usually gentle and loving towards stardust spirits.

Cautiously, Lucy stepped forward to meet Lizzie's outstretched hand. Hey, maybe this could go well after all! She could easily fool the girl into believing she was just another buzzard–

"Wow! You're amazing! I've never seen any bird like you before!"

Oh. Right. The gold go-faster stripes. Lucy mentally slapped herself. Maggie had told her so! She wanted to sigh in frustration but could do nothing but stand stock still as Lizzie fawned over her, amazed by her black and gold plumage. Maggie would kill her if she ever found out. Despite the competitiveness between the two – or perhaps because of it - Lucy never wanted to disappoint the woman. She shivered as a burning crawled through her consciousness. She could almost feel her mentor gazing at her now…

"There you are!"

Lucy' gaze snapped up as she almost fell off the branch. She ruffled her feathers as she flitted her eyes around beadily. Survey done, she realised with relief that the voice didn't belong to Maggie – a relief that was short lived once the true speaker was revealed.

Lizzie gave a wistful glance back to the bird before flying down to meet an older autumn spirit, with long blonde tresses held off her face by a silvery scarf. She landed in the clearing, marching business-like towards the foursome.

 _She looks just like Xanthe with that scarf on._

The thought graced Lucy's mind before she could stop it. Though she was currently a bird, her heart felt human sized it was thudding so hard into her chest. She hadn't seen Allegra in just over two months, but her frie- former friend – had changed so much. Even in stardust form she looked somewhat faded, like her glow had been shoved in the wash too many times. Her voice was just as hard.

"You guys know you aren't meant to be out this far," the girl stated with half-hearted irritation.

"We were just playing tag!" Charlotte defied, eyes innocent but stifling a smirk behind her hand.

"Do I have to treat you like babies? You're old enough to know the dangers of coming out this far alone."

Lucy felt a pang at this. It occurred to her that _she_ was one of these "dangers". A weird feeling.

"Oh please, Allegra! We know what we're doing!"

"Oh do you now?"

Charlotte encouraged all her friends into nodding (albeit uncertainly).

"In which case, you experts can all go on beetle duty at the other end of the clearing."

The three spirit's faces fell. Charlotte groaned. Issy on the other hand, chirped up entirely,

"Oh goody! Race you guys there!"

Unable to resist a good competition, the other three spirits raced off after Issy. Allegra's irritation broke, and for a second, she laughed like a child again.

"Bet you can't all beat me!"

And with an almost imperceptible glance at the treeline, Allegra was off in a flash. Lucy swooped down the clearing, watching after them with longing.

"They were a rowdy bunch weren't they?"

Maggie materialised next to Lucy, who just barely flinched.

"They had you distracted I see," eyebrows raised, Maggie gestured to Lucy. She looked down to see that she had accidentally lost focus and morphed back into her own body.

"We should get going." Lucy brushed Maggie off, and in a moment she was in the sky.

Maggie smiled gently. The dark spirit glided swiftly after Lucy, a knowing gaze falling on the teen before her.

It was happening. She could tell. The growing irritation, the longing glimpses at the life she used to have, the frustration at not being able to push her summer magic further. Maggie had felt the same symptoms forty years ago. It would begin softly, a nagging in the back of her head and in the centre of her heart. It would grow, until Lucy wouldn't be able to ignore it anymore.

Maggie had wanted to teach her ever since the ten-year-old had made the switch. But no, she waited. It had taken so much time, a full six years to plant the self-doubt, the suspicion, the bitterness, the selfish lust for power… the trust. Maggie had waited long for this day. She had to wait, after all the Draw bided its time differently depending on which spirit it was.

But now she was feeling it, Lucy was. The pain of loneliness, the desperation to connect with the universe, the need for something more than herself. Something more than her own power.

Soon all of Maggie's plans could come to fruition, and, thanks to Lucy, no one was there to stop her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Again I'd like to say a huge thanks to anyone who has read and reviewed. It motivates someone like me who procrastinates incessantly. Keep them reviews coming so I can make the story better! Now, without further rambling...**

A gust of leafy air shot through the large clearing, carrying twigs and dirt and all sorts of debris – including four – no five – flying girls. At their lead was Xanthe's daughter, corkscrew curls wild with the thrill of the chase. The mother in question watched, intrigued yet hesitant as a hint of her child resurfaced on the young woman's face. Xanthe inhaled, a small, near imperceptible smile touching her lips. It was only when Allegra was with the younger spirits that she seemed to forget how her world had been shattered only a few months ago. Xanthe released the held breath and stood, forcing herself to leave the group of adults who she had been conversing with in polite yet sombre tones for the past hour. She glanced again at her daughter's face, lost in the joy found in others' childhood, and silently cursed herself for being the bearer of bad news.

'You've all still got so much to learn,' the teen smirked gently.

'Well that's not fair at all! You're way older and taller and you've been a stardust spirit longer,' Charlotte pouted, arms crossed.

'Well with that attitude, you guys will never catch up to me,' Allegra ruffled the hair of the indignant girl and laughed.

'Having fun?'

Allegra glanced downward. Spotting her mum gliding towards her, she waved the younger girls away to their dreaded beetle duty. She met Xanthe halfway down.

'Just giving them a quick flying lesson is all.'

'I'm afraid we have to put the flying lesson on hold Allegra. There's something important we need to discuss.'

Xanthe heart suddenly felt as heavy as Allegra face became. Her tone became terse.

'It's Lucy, isn't it?'

'Unfortunately, yes.'

'Unfortunately. Huh,' Allegra's voice grew bitter. Xanthe had feared her daughter's reaction, but Allegra simply inhaled forcefully and avoided her mother's gaze.

'So, we broach the elephant in the room again?'

Xanthe gave a dismal twist of the lips, 'I'm afraid so.'

'Would you stop sounding so apologetic? Geesh, it's not your fault.'

The older woman's chest thudded at that. No, technically, it wasn't her fault. But it didn't stop her from feeling answerable. She was the adult responsible for the children in the absence of their parents – not only for her own daughter, but for Ella, Faye and Lucy too. Especially Lucy. If only she'd done more to stop the child following the same dark path that once called out to Xanthe herself, maybe then…

Xanthe quickly reeled in her thoughts, remembering that her daughter was an autumn spirit like her, and possessed the power to read hearts should she choose to do so. Thankfully Allegra seemed more occupies with staring at her hovering feet.

'Still it's… it must be difficult for you to talk about.'

'Yeah well, beating around the bush about it isn't going to make it any less painful so…'

Xanthe swallowed, taking the obvious hint that whatever she was going to say had to be said now. As much as it pained the mother to see her daughter fight her feelings with a bitter front, she realised that whether Allegra was ready or not, she had to treat her as an adult, as an equal. As she had always done. Ever since Xanthe had been eighteen and that devastatingly beautiful bump had started to show, she had resolved that whatever life was waiting to be born into the world, she would always make sure it stayed close; that it never felt inferior, never felt intimidated or patronised by the person who was supposed to make them feel most loved. That it would grow into a beautiful person who was secure about themselves, and never _ever_ made the same mistakes she did. And, well, if those mistakes did repeat themselves, even then would she help this accidental child of hers raise something beautiful from the ashes. Xanthe wanted to be more than Allegra's parent right from the start. All she wanted was for her child to know she always had a friend to turn to. Even when others failed her.

'As you know Allegra,' Xanthe began, without making eye contact, 'what we can only describe as 'freak' weather has been messing with the atmosphere left right and centre. Powerful electrical storms, sudden droughts, flash floods.'

'Climate change is nothing new. _Unfortunate_ yes but…' Allegra's expression turned from sullen to wary in a second,

'What's this got to do with her?'

Xanthe paused, then continued, still avoiding her daughter's gaze.

'Allegra, I need you to promise me you'll keep this confidential. If it spread too far, people would panic. An announcement will be made eventually, but – '

'Is Lucy causing the freak weather? Is she that powerful now?' Allegra snapped, unable to take the tension any longer. Xanthe paused, wondering now if it was a bad idea to tell her headstrong daughter the news. But, she realised, she had already said too much to back out now.

'… Not directly. But… yes she is.'

For a split second, Allegra's heartbreak was plastered afresh all over her face. It was hastily replaced with a look of grim anger.

'Why would she do that! Does she know how many creatures have been killed because of her little power trips-'

'Allegra,' Xanthe cut off the loud girl sternly. Allegra's mouth flailed momentarily, before falling shut. Xanthe continued in a gentler tone, but with greater urgency.

'I said she didn't _directly_ cause them. But because of her actions, things have been made more complicated for us.'

Allegra's anger quickly quelled to curiosity,

'W-What do you mean?'

Xanthe sighed, mentally prepping herself for a long explanation.

'Centuries ago, there were no dark spirits. There were no light spirits either. Every ability, from animal shapeshifting, to borrowing power from the stars, was considered a useful tool to be used for the advancement of nature and universal harmony. In those times, powerful spirits could read the constellations and prophesize future events.'

Xanthe's gaze flitted to Allegra. Allegra's brow was creased in concentration, so in spite of the vacant gaze at the foliage beneath her, Xanthe knew she held her daughter's full attention.

'There was nothing to stop the tongues of the stars being spoken by stardust spirits. In a time long gone, we were so much more connected with the universe as a whole, not just our own planet. But as time went on, we inevitably started losing that connection, that power, that open mindedness. The art of stellar tongues and the power of prophecies gradually faded, until finally, it was lost to us. But there was one spirit, one who was able to cry out to the stars and command one last prophecy from the skies. She went by the name of …Morwenna.'

Allegra's head suddenly jerked up and her eyes widened. Her mind was thrown back many summers ago, to when she was ten years old. She saw a spirit her age, perfectly straight brunette hair, golden dress and terrified eyes, cowering on the edge of a riverbank. The figure struggled, muscles tense and eyes darting, but she couldn't move an inch. A harsh unforgiving voice cracked over the memory,

 _'Daniel has proven himself a useful ally. Even in temporary defeat, he still managed to gain us Morwenna's Dauche de_ _Ilochwe_ _1\. We shall share our power with him once the Last of the Summer Spirits has completed her role in the ceremony.'_

 _A cruel smile. The fear in the girl's eye's intensified, then…_

'Morwenna? I've heard that name before. That's what the dark spirit said the night… Robyn…'

Xanthe nodded gravely.

'Yes. Rowena. She possessed Morwenna's Book of Darkness, and used the knowledge within it to place Robyn in that awful ritual – '

'The one that was meant for the Last of the Summer Spirits.'

Xanthe couldn't read the tone in Allegra's voice.

'Yes,' Xanthe repeated carefully,

'The one that was meant for the Last of the Summer Spirits.'

Allegra shook her head in disbelief,

'When we were in Wales, Dan said that Lucy was the Last of the Summer Spirits.'

Xanthe simply nodded in agreement.

'Morwenna's prophecy had a profound effect on the stardust world. She became the first of many to try and quench her hunger for power by stealing stardust. The first dark spirit. Her and her followers created the many spells and rituals that dark spirits use to this day, including the stardust orbs.'

Allegra's expression twitched at the mention of the orbs, spherical devices dark spirits used to drain the stardust from normal spirits. Quickly shoving another unwanted memory to the back of her mind, she changed the subject.

'What was the prophecy?'

Xanthe shifted, glancing quickly to the afore mentioned stars, before stating,

'There are many interpretations, but the one which most studies agree on is this:'

 _"When the Last of the Summer Spirits is found,_

 _Dark will fight light on the wooded ground,_

 _Her strength is great and growing each day,_

 _But true power comes when it's taken away,_

 _When she gives up her stardust to the midnight sky,_

 _Four stars will unite and power will fly."2_

Allegra was silent. Xanthe was silent. After a long break, with nothing but the wind and night owls and crickets all rustling and howling and cheeping, a barely audible voice stated,

'So you're telling me, Lucy has to lose her stardust in order for the prophecy to come true?'

'It seems that way.'

'And the stars are never wrong.'

'No. But as you know, it can be hard to interpret the exact – '

'It states it, Xanthe, clear as day. "When she gives up her stardust?" Nothing is hazy about that.'

'No. The other adults and I, we've been discussing, trying to figure out what exactly has been happening recently. We've known Lucy was the Last of the Summer Spirits since she was ten. It's been six years since then, and not a single new summer spirit. Not in the entire world. The balance of nature has been falling more and more out of synch, with there not being enough summer spirit around to help. That's what's causing the freak weather, and Lucy knew… she knows this. The only way to put everything back in order is to fulfil the prophecy. We explained things to her when she turned twelve, before we found out she was a dark spirit. I wanted to tell you, Ella and Faye too, but the others believed it was too risky to let you know, that it was best kept secret until we had things under control. If we had known that… we should have told you.'

'Yes. You should have.'

Allegra's tone was cold, but she said no more. Xanthe sighed, recollecting her thoughts to try and speak them coherently.

'We tried talking with her, working with her, trying to find a way to fulfil the prophecy without her losing her stardust. But she was always so agitated, always trying to avoid the subject. Never wanted to talk about it.'

'If I'd known about it, she could've talked to me,' a bitter voice muttered. Xanthe nodded slightly, then continued, ignoring the pang in her chest.

'I tried to comfort her, convince her we'd find a way. It wasn't the same though. I understand that the idea of losing your stardust is terrifying but… now we know that it was something more as well.'

'For a dark spirit to lose their stardust? To them it must feel like the end of the world. Worse than losing your friends apparently.'

'Allegra – '

'So if Lucy loses her stardust,' Allegra moved on brusquely, 'then the freak weather will stop? There'll be more summer spirits?'

Xanthe breathed out,

'Only if light wins.'

'… I see.' For the first time, Allegra looked directly into her mother's steely gaze.

'And how exactly do you guys plan on making that happen now? Dark spirits never give up their stardust. They don't care about anyone but themselves.'

Xanthe was the one who flinched ever so slightly away from Allegra's piercing eyes this time, only to brace herself and look directly at her again.

'That's… that's where you come in, Allegra.'

…

 **1 - _Dauche de Ilochwe_ \- Book of Darkness in some sort of Celtic-Germanic-Latin star language which I totally didn't make up. Ahem. **

**2 - The prophecy poem is an excerpt from Linda Chapman's _Midnight Magic,_ no copyright infringement intended. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Firstly I'd like to say a huge thank you to anyone who has reviewed since last chapter, both new voices and returning faces. It's encouraging to see that this story interests and engages so many readers and I'll do my best to keep living up to expectation in the coming chapters. Secondly, I want to apologise for being so erratic with updates! I can't promise it will get better, but I can promise to finish the story! Finally, I want to introduce the "flashbacks" a slightly more experimental section of the story where I revisit the events of the original series, but in light of this head canon. I'm unsure of whether these interludes clarify the characters' new journeys and personalities, or just make things confusing. Please let me know what you think?**

 **This is the first instalment, and takes place after Lucy, Ella, Faye and Allegra's first meeting with Maggie as a dark spirit in** ** _Stolen Magic_** **. With that said, and without further rambling…**

 ** _6 years ago_**

Attacking children hadn't been on the night's agenda for Margaret Chambers. An easy steal of stardust from one, perhaps. Yet somehow, here she was standing, fighting the four most troublesome ten year olds she had ever encountered in her long life.

The dark spirit almost admired the four young spirits before her. Together they had managed to bring her to breaking point, every single element brought together as one powerful force. A glowing glass orb hovered, held in the air by nothing but her cutting glare. Out of the silver, blue and green that shimmered around the clearing, Maggie's thoughts were only directed towards the glowing gold she could feel directly in front of her, a fireball ready and waiting to destroy Maggie's years of labour. She pried into the ten year old's mind, felt the raw untapped power there, the strong line ascending directly from her to the stars. Drawing on all that power could be appealing to anyone, far less a mind not yet mature… yes. As her suspicions proved. A secret longing for more, newly discovered, and waiting to be indulged. If the child's power was harnessed, Maggie could use it. But first, she had to get her onside.

 _You could join me Lucy._

Maggie heard a gasp escape the child's lips as she spoke wordlessly. Not for a second letting her concentration on the hovering orb slip, she continued weaving words and images into Lucy's mind.

 _Together we could be strong. You have more power than I've ever seen before. I could teach you how to use it. I could show you the way…_

Maggie let the feelings flood from one mind to the other, all the experience of wielding the four elements planting itself in the child's brain, leaving her overwhelmed, drunk on the idea of power…

 _Your friends don't understand,_ Maggie's voice went on, low and tempting. _They have no idea what it feels like to be you; to have so much power. They'll stop you using it. You need me, so join with me._

 _No,_ Lucy thought, but her answer was weak.

…

Allegra stared at the scene before her. Time almost seemed to slow. The four girls hovered or kneeled in the clearing, facing off against the intimidating figure, who stood with thick swirls of stardust surrounding her. The dark spirit's eyes were intently focused on the cracked orb hovering in mid-air, tiny shimmering flecks already seeping from its confines. The air was so tense Allegra barely felt she could breathe. She felt the cold of Faye's ice, smelt the bare earth Ella just cleared. The autumn spirit's eyes burned, as she fixed her gaze on Lucy. The moment seemed to last forever. All Lucy had to do was shoot a fireball, distract the witch, and this would all be over. Why wasn't she moving then? Why were her eyes closed? Lucy stood there, silent, trance like, deep frown on her face, like she was struggling intensely with some unseen force.

"Lucy?"

Allegra's voice seeped out, laced with concern and urgency, cracking the tension of the moment and sending everything reeling back into fast motion. Lucy's eyes snapped open, a glint of determination shot through her glare as she met the dark spirit's. The fireball flew. Flew straight into the tree behind Maggie.

The four girls jumped at the small explosion, a look of horror ingrained in Lucy's expression. She had missed. The dark spirit used the distraction well. One gust of wind later and Maggie held the precious cracked orb back in her hands. She smirked at the dismayed four, her gaze lingering longest on Lucy.

"You've done well, for ones so young," spoke a voice laced with contempt,

"But you all still fail."

And with a flurry of dark fabric she disappeared against the night.

The clearing became silent once again. Allegra was shaking, as were her companions. Lucy however, seemed frozen to the spot, staring at where Maggie had once been.

"Lucy?" Allegra flew over to her friend and placed a cautious hand on her shoulder. Lucy turned, her eyes finally leaving the scene of the crime.

"I'm sorry Allegra. I couldn't do it."

"Do what Lucy?"

"I tried. I really tried but…" Lucy glanced back at the scorch mark on the tree her fire had hit.

"Lucy what are you on about?" Allegra smiled tentatively,

"We won didn't we? We faced off against a dark spirit! Just because we didn't manage to break the orb doesn't mean we didn't do something awesome today!"

"Yeah," spoke Ella, breaking her silence, "I mean we're just lucky she didn't take our stardust."

Lucy nodded slowly, regarding each of her friends and giving a tentative smile.

"I guess. But still, if I had hit the orb, if I hadn't… missed – "

"Lucy, it's fine. No one blames you for missing. You were probably terrified. I would have been in your place."

The others nodded in agreement.

"I mean, the way she was looking at you, it's like she wanted to gobble you up!"

There was a pause before the girls burst out laughing, nervously trying to forget their ordeal.

"We should get back. Now." Ella interjected seriously, eyes flitting around, suppressed fear behind them. Allegra, Faye and Lucy all turned to Ella, wordlessly nodded, and swept as fast as they could back the way they came, nearly colliding with the four adults who had come to find them. A shadow looked on, and if one listened closely, the gears of her brain could be heard faintly whirring into action against the background of the night. With a sharp sweep into the sky, the woman put the silent mechanics on hold, as another, more important thought crossed her mind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Apologies for taking so long with this update, a combination of university and writers block (but mostly unashamed procrastination) got in the way. So here's a chapter for a late Christmas present/early New Year present!**

 **Also, to 'Guest' (sorry I don't know your actual name) you raise a valid point: what the heck** ** _do_** **dark spirits use all that power for? Hopefully this next chapter will answer partially, and I'll do my best to address the issue in future chapters (though I'll have to come up with some answers first… any and all ideas are welcome!)**

 **Also, more apologies for another Maggie/Lucy chapter, but I swear other characters will make an appearance soon! If this chapter had a theme song, it would be, "Mother Knows Best" from** ** _Tangled_** **. You'll see why.**

 **Also, infinite apologies for writing an author's note longer than the bleeding chapter. Now, without further blathering, enjoy!**

* * *

 _'_ _Mateo noctor- nocturnus, notoribus hal-e-kaum Esseo mateo, fuento – '_ _1_

'Having fun?'

'Argh! Maggie… I just uhm... was thinking out loud?'

Lucy's failed attempt to hide a certain book of darkness behind her back had failed. The grey Saturday afternoon didn't match its outlook; instead of a stifling heatwave as the forecast predicted, a chill hung in the air. Not that Lucy particularly minded. People were too busy visiting the nearby town to return their air conditioning units for refunds to spend any time loitering around the woods, which, in the small village, was one of the more popular summer hangouts. This left a perfect, vacant, private space to explore Maggie's prized possession, which Lucy had managed to sneak away with the night before. At the time, Lucy's distraction had seemed genius. In retrospect however, the teen realised that Maggie might just have noticed the amateurish manoeuvre. It would explain why the woman had showed up, without warning, at Lucy's favourite reading spot.

'You know Lucy, forest fires in the middle of the night in the middle of an English countryside are not exactly commonplace. How many times do I have to tell you to be more subtle?'

'…Oops.'

'You do know you're reading it all wrong. It's pronounced _notor-AE-bus hale-KAE-um._ Do that in stardust form and you'll blow yourself up.'

'You don't seem very angry about this.'

'I'm somewhat furious. But, unlike _some,_ I know how to control my impulses.'

Lucy's defence mechanism kicked in.

'I was going to give it back. All I wanted was a quick look. I mean, you congratulate me and tell me I'm going to be the most powerful spirit since Morwenna, but then you don't even let me look at her book? Why? It's like you're hiding something.'

'Said little miss "it-took-me-six-years-to-come-out-to-my-stardust-group."'

'Maggie!'

'Yes Lucy?'

Something in the tone of her mentor's voice made her stop in her tracks. Lucy met Maggie's silver gaze. She realised her mistake.

'I'm…sorry.'

Maggie's face remained cool, before breaking into a gentle smile.

'It's okay Lucy. I understand.'

The older woman stepped around the log Lucy was perched on, and alighted with a sweep of her skirt.

'If I'm not mistaken, you are reading a spell to increase your power when calling on the stars?'

At the first attempt, Maggie deftly opened the book back to the page Lucy had snapped shut earlier.

'Well, yeah,' the teen admitted sheepishly.

Maggie shook her head slightly in what seemed like disbelief.

'Why on earth would _you_ need something like that? Stardust loves you Lucy.'

'Well…'

Lucy hesitated. It wasn't that she didn't trust Maggie – no matter how slippery she could be. It was more that Lucy knew the next couple of words might disappoint her mentor, make her think less of the young prodigy. It was the entire reason she hadn't gone straight to her in the first place. Surely Maggie would think she was weak, that she'd lost resolve? That she -

Just then Lucy felt a warm hand on her back. The touch spoke volumes. It told Lucy that Maggie truly cared for her, as a friend, a daughter even. The calming presence of the older woman softened Lucy's hard exterior, let her stop rationalising for one second and feel what she'd been supressing for so long. Before she knew, she felt compelled to let the words spill out of her.

'I can't help but feel lately… I feel worse. I wake up every morning drained, I only ever feel like myself in stardust form. In human form, I get all these, I don't know… symptoms I guess,' Lucy frowned, struggling for the right words.

'It feels like… like the flu, or a perpetual hangover. I get headachy, dizzy, sometimes even nauseous,' the words were tumbling out of her now, revealing her growing troubles over the past year.

'But the worse thing is… I just can't seem to connect with people anymore. I have no friends,' Lucy struggled to hold back a sob she never expected.

'I'm lonely. I can't even talk to my family anymore. My best friend hates me.'

A pause, then the touch extended its warmth to an enveloping hug. Lucy let herself be wrapped in the embrace. Breathing in the comforting smell of Maggie's floral perfume, she felt ten all over again.

'Oh child, why didn't you tell me any of this before?'

'I thought you'd think I was being immature. That I wasn't ready to become a true dark spirit.'

'On the contrary, this proves the exact opposite my dear.'

Lucy's head shot up, surprise evident through her tear stained face.

'Ohoho, don't look so shocked Lucy! Every dark spirit has this day. The moment you realise that you can't do it alone, that everything in the universe is connected, and that without connections, you'll wither away and die like the pathetic human body nature has given you.'

Lucy looked perplexed.

'But, I thought dark spirits worked alone? I thought that was the whole point, to be independent...'

It was Maggie's turn to frown in puzzlement.

'Who told you that?'

Lucy blushed deeply.

'Uhm, no one. It's just something I heard once.'

Maggie raised her eyebrows before speaking, a hint of amusement in her voice.

'You know, you shouldn't believe everything Xanthe told you.'

Lucy flushed a deeper pink.

'You've had me to guide you all these years, and you're still hanging on to what _she_ said once upon a time. Like _Xanthe_ knows what the meaning of being a dark spirit is,' Maggie tutted, shaking her head once more,

'No, no Lucy, Xanthe is not your mentor. _I_ am your mentor. You have questions, come to _me_ for answers. Okay?'

Maggie flashed a smile, her hand sliding affectionately through Lucy's long hair. Lucy smiled shyly back, relief evident in her eyes.

'Okay.'

'Now then. No spell in this book is going to help you.' Maggie snapped the book shut once more and placed it in her brown leather handbag. She then proceeded to draw a small folder from the same bag. A lone sheet of paper was slipped from between the plastic. Maggie offered it to Lucy. After scanning the stellar spell, and it's rough translation beneath, her eyes widened in a mix of horror and anticipation.

'This is the draining incantation.'

Lucy looked back to her mentor, who, like Mary Poppins had produced another item from her magic bag of tricks. The woman pressed the glass sphere to Lucy's palm. The orb slotted into her hand perfectly, feeling cool and calming against her skin. Every pore of her being seemed to suddenly come alive at the reception of the gift, and a new energy flooded the once tired girl, pulsing through her being and flowing invisibly from her fingers to the smooth surface. Lucy swore she saw the light refract around the glass, before it turned to a simple transparent ornament again.

'What… what just happened?'

'When I gave it to you, that was just a glass sphere. But the moment you received it willingly, it absorbed a single speck of your stardust. Now it is reinforced with your magic, and once you gather all four elements to its confines, it will be all but unbreakable.'

'Wow.'

'Yes. But, you should be warned. This is no toy. It must be used according to its purpose. Do you know why a dust orb is made of glass?'

Lucy shook her head.

'The glass acts as a natural conductor of stardust, and a connection between the universe and you, hence why you feel so energized right now, correct?'

Lucy nodded, intrigued.

'Now, glass' natural form, being sand, is made from tiny particles of rock. And rock is the closest element you can get to pure stardust on this planet. Stardust attracts stardust. The more you fill the orb with dust, the more it will attract.'

Without warning, Maggie's tone darkened,

'Which is why you have to feed it someone else's stardust as soon as possible.'

Lucy's heart began thudding in her chest.

'What happens if you don't?' she asked in a dry whisper. Maggie responded with a grim pursing of her lips.

'The orb will simply keep feeding on your stardust to maintain its connection to the universe. Eventually, if it remains empty, it will drain you dry, until _you_ are nothing but dust.'

Silence.

'But I'm sure that won't happen. Not to my best student!' Maggie chirped cheerfully in a way that disturbed Lucy ever so slightly.

'Haha, your only student you mean.' Lucy responded with little mirth. With this, Maggie stood to leave, maroon skirt sweeping loose bark off the log.

'Oh and one more thing Lucy,'

Maggie's tone changed once more. She became serious, almost apologetic even, her voice the gentlest Lucy had ever heard it.

'Your first cannot be… just anyone. It must be the stardust of the one closest to you.'

Lucy's heart stopped.

'W-what?'

'You heard me, Lucy.' Maggie snapped, causing the girl to flinch,

'It's the way it has to be. Don't try to do otherwise,' the older woman's voice grew gentler once more.

'It will only make things more difficult.'

Lucy would have noted the wistful twinge in Maggie's eyes, had she not been staring at the ground in shock.

'I know it seems horrible now. But it will be fine. You'll see. Do this, and you can become the most powerful being that ever lived.'

With a last pat on the back, Maggie started back out of the clearing, twigs crunching quieter until Lucy was alone once more. Her hollow gaze lifted to the sky and followed a crow as it perched on a nearby branch. The girl let out a heavy sigh, before she was shocked back to life by the pulsing in her hands.

 _Feed me._

She felt it cry faintly.

* * *

 ** _1: Alas, more made up Latin-Germanic-Celtic star language. The complete sentence would read,_**

 _'By night it festers in infamous skies, feed me power fuelled futures through leather bound eyes.'_

 ** _Roughly translated to: "_** _Gimme more power, or I'll rip up this book. Yay!"_


	7. Name change from Celticlee to Afrocelt

Dear _Stardust: A Darker Purpose_ readers

Apologies for the non-chapter update (I hate those as much as you do) but just a heads up about my profile name change from 'celticlee' to 'afrocelt'. Hopefully this should avoid confusion as to who is writing the story. I've refrained from changing the alias for a while, but it's been bothering me too much as of late and I really like the new one.

Thank you, and have a blessed day! (I promise an actual update soon)

celticl- *ahem!*

afrocelt

(...thats gonna take some getting used to.)


	8. Chapter 7

**Hello lovely readers! I'm sure everyone has been busy with life and work and non magical mundane stuff in general (I know I have, hence why its been so quiet over here...). I haven't had much time or inspiration to write (it took me three attempts to get this chapter down) but I haven't given up on the story, so hopefully you haven't either! Reviews would be lovely, thank you to people who already have, but it keeps us writers motivated (as I'm sure you all know) so keep 'em coming. Now without further rambling or shameless review fishing... here have a flashback!**

 _ **6 years ago**_

'Lucy, would you like to come in for a hot drink?'

If the girl were honest at that moment in time, she'd choose to simply fall into bed and forget about the world. She just wanted to be alone. But, not wanting to worry Xanthe, she nodded quietly, with a hesitant smile. Xanthe smiled warmly back. The three spirits landed in the back garden of Willow Cottage, ethereal bodies camouflaged against the night. Stepping into the house, the dark of the kitchen pressed down on them once they were transformed back to their human selves. A light flicked on from the far corner.

'Allegra, would you make you and Lucy some hot chocolate?'

'Sure.'

Xanthe smiled once more at the two girls, but this time there was something other than warmth behind the gaze. Lucy saw it in the tightness of Xanthe's lips, Allegra heard it in the tension of her mum's voice.

'Xanthe… why are you still a stardust spirit?'

The woman glanced downwards.

'There's something I have to go and check. It won't take a minute.'

As if reading her mind, Allegra left the half made drinks and faced her mum incredulously.

'You're not going to Maggie's house are you? She could still be there! It's dangerous! She might take your stardust!'

'Don't worry Allegra.' Xanthe shook her head, as if amused by Allegraa's intuition. Then she turned serious once more, looking her daughter in the eyes.

'You four weakened her a lot. Maggie should be long gone now her secret is out and her orb is damaged. But I still need to go and check.'

'Well, at least let us come with you!'

'Allegra, no – '

'Please, Xanthe, you said it yourself! We should never go anywhere alone. Right Lucy?'

Lucy flinched slightly as she remembered her own recklessness earlier. But she quickly snapped out of the daze, replying,

'Yeah. We should stick together.'

Xanthe regarded the two with a mix of bemusement and wistfulness, wondering how fast they would continue to grow up. She then sighed,

'I'm sorry. But you two have been through enough tonight.'

The look on Allegra's face was enough to make Xanthe laugh fondly,

'But, if I'm not back in five minutes time, you have permission to come and see what's happening. As long as you promise to camouflage yourselves, and get other spirits if I do need help.'

Xanthe glided through the door, before turning and throwing a cheeky smirk at the girls,

'Which I won't.'

With that, Xanthe disappeared. A few seconds of incredibly loud silence reigned over the kitchen, before Allegra stood quickly and began muttering the chant to turn her into a stardust spirit.

'Allegra, what are you doing?' Lucy interrupted, much to the blonde's annoyance.

'What does it look like? I'm going after Xanthe.'

'Xanthe doesn't want us going after her.'

'What? It's not as if we didn't prove we can look after ourselves tonight.'

Lucy shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to get in an argument with Allegra.

'I know that. But maybe there's another reason Xanthe doesn't want us out there with her. Maybe we should just once, do what we're told?'

Allegra pursed her lips, clearly not liking Lucy's point.

'But she's my mum. I don't want anything to happen to her because of that… witch!'

'Nothing's going to happen to her. Xanthe is really strong. She can protect herself.'

Allegra ran a frustrated hand through her curls, proceeding to fidget with her pyjamas in irritation. Finally she sighed exasperatedly, marching back to the violently boiling milk and two abandoned mugs on the side.

'I guess so.'

Allegra finished the hot chocolates in record time, though their quality was debatable. The girl moved faster than her normal swift pace, shaking the powder on the countertop as well as into the mugs and spilling a diabetic helping of sugar into the mix. Thankfully she became more steady pouring the hot milk. Allegra heaved a sigh, pausing for a minute to glance out the back window.

'How long's it been now?'

'About two minutes.'

'We're going.'

'Allegra - '

A piercing wail sounded outside the cottage. It was far off, at least in the next town, yet in the silent village it was loud enough to jolt the girls awake. They listened for a few tenuous moments as the siren grew closer and closer -

A figure in silver swept through the back door, dissolving into a blur then reforming into a very concerned looking Xanthe.

'Xanthe! You're okay!'

'Yes, Allegra,' Xanthe nodded briefly with a wan smile at her daughter, before brushing past the two girls and heading straight back out into the hall.

Allegra and Lucy frowned at each other, then in unison left their seats (and bittersweet burned hot chocolate) to follow Xanthe to the front door.

'Stay there,'

Xanthe hurriedly spoke, before pulling on a jacket and heading out the door, shutting it heavily behind her. Allegra and Lucy rushed into the front room to try and catch a better glimpse of the drama Xanthe was headed into. At some point during Xanthe's switchover, the sirens had been cut off only to be replaced with flashing blue lights growing brighter by the second, and a screech of tyres, the rumble of an engine on the street outside. Doors slamming, voices talking rapidly - neither Allegra nor Lucy could see past the hedges of the front garden properly, but from what they could tell it was down the road past Lucy's house.

'Come on!'

Allegra hopped off the sofa, and after a pause, Lucy followed. The two made their way up to Allegra's familiar room, painted constellations on the ceiling offering no competition to the fluorescent blues flashing outside. As their suspicions confirmed, the commotion was coming from just past Lucy's house – at Lavender Cottage.

'What do you think happened?' Allegra found herself blurting out, words aimed at Lucy who was stood behind her. There was no response.

'Lucy?'

'I… don't know,' Lucy's voice sounded drained. Allegra on the other hand, sounded as energetic as ever, verging on jittery.

'I think it's a police car – I can't quite see. It's definitely at Lavender Cottage though. There's a couple people going in.'

'Do you think they came to arrest Maggie?' Lucy half heartedly attempted to reason.

It took a beat for them to both realise what Lucy had actually said.

In tears and sides racked with laughter, Allegra stated,

'Oh yeah sure. Xanthe told the police about Maggie being a dark spirit and they walked into her house like "Miss Chambers, you are under arrest for stealing magic sky dust and using it to attack kids. Now put your hands up and get in the van or we'll taze you!"'

The mental image of graceful, intimidating Margaret Chambers, black cloak swirling and stardust dress glinting, suddenly being slammed in handcuffs and thrown behind bars was all too much for Lucy, and she was soon in hysterics along with Allegra.

Just then, the two girls heard the front door swing open and closed again, very, very gently. The two girls ran back down to meet Xanthe in the hallway. The smiles were wiped from their mouths as they met the grave look resting on her face.

'What is it, Xanthe?'

The woman, suddenly looking older than her years, stated in a gentle tone,

'I'm afraid it's Miss Graves. She's had a heart attack.'


End file.
